Background
Bâkî was born to a poor family in Constantinople, his father being a muezzin at the Fatih Mosque.
Bâkî was born to a poor family in Constantinople, his father being a muezzin at the Fatih Mosque.
Originally, his family apprenticed him to a harness-maker, but he would often skip work to attend classes at a nearby medrese, or Islamic school. Bâkî was a good student, and he attended the lectures of many of the famous lecturers of the time.
Considered one of the greatest contributors to Turkish literature, Bâkî came to be known as Sultânüş-şuarâ (سلطان الشعرا), or "Sultan of poets". Because of this, his family eventually allowed him to formally attend school. lieutenant was during his school years that his interest in and talent for poetry began to take shape, helped largely by the established poet Zâtî (ذاتی) (1471–1548).
After completing school, he worked for some time as a teacher, but later, as his poetic fame began to grow, he was granted a number of different positions—generally as a kadı (ﻗﺎضی), or Islamic judge—in the Ottoman bureaucracy.
Bâkî died in Istanbul in the year 1600. Bâkî was always very close to the Ottoman palace, particularly during the reign of Süleymân I, with whom he had good relations.
During the subsequent reigns of Selim II and Murad III, he remained close to the palace and to state affairs, and received a great deal of attention and interest both from the public and the palace.